This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
Skip seconds
Spell
Oct 8, 2023 11:48
7 mos ago
50 viewers *
English term

OK Johnson

Non-PRO English Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
For another thing, she’s thorough. Marie wants all the nails in the coffin before she picks up
her hammer. But when she does, look out. Her cross-examinations are as efficient as they are
vicious, prompting the legendary moment early in her career when a car thief who would
thereafter always be known as “OK Johnson” just gave up during her cross and whined, “Okay,
okay, I did it.”

Is "OK Johnson" a set phrase (I can't find it), or is it simply that the thief's name was Johnson?
Responses
5 +1 (see below)
5 just a nickname

Discussion

Michael Beijer Oct 27, 2023:
"O.K. Johnson" + "OK Johnson" = the same thing In British English, it is customary not to use the dots anymore.

e.g., my full name is Michael Joseph Wdowiak Beijer

I'd write it like this:

MJW Beijer
not "M.J.W. Beijer"

or

Michael JW Beijer
not "Michael J.W. Beijer"

Just so you know, this is just a preference of course.
allp (asker) Oct 27, 2023:
@AllegroTrans I don't think so - then it would be O.K. Johnson, but there are no dots after O and K.
AllegroTrans Oct 23, 2023:
Ah, so... he might have been called something like Oliver Karl Johnson?
Michael Beijer Oct 10, 2023:
@Daryo Gotcha, agree. Thanks for explaining yourself! Was starting to think you all believed #1 (from my previous point), which would be insane.
Daryo Oct 10, 2023:
There is a link but I wouldn't call it "a pun" as the association is too direct.
Michael Beijer Oct 9, 2023:
@writeaway/Mark/phil/Daryo/Jennifer: I still don't understand what you guys are saying:

(1) It's mere coincidence that the thief's name is ‘OK Johnson’ and he said ‘Okay, okay, I did it.’? That is, his name is simply ‘OK Johnson’, and there is no link whatsoever between the ‘OK’ in his name and the fact that he said ‘Okay, okay, I did it.’

or

(2) There is a link between the two, but I used the wrong word (‘pun’) to describe it.
Daryo Oct 8, 2023:
It's more that we can't agree on what's exactly a pun.

BTW this Marie is either a police investigator / detective or a public prosecutor.

I can't see how any of these would apply here:

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=johnson
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=johnson&page...
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=johnson&page...
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=johnson&page...
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=johnson&page...

so what is left is "Johnson" being simply the name of this car thief.
Michael Beijer Oct 8, 2023:
@ everyone disagreeing with my answer So in my reading, ‘Marie’ is a lawyer, since she is cross-examining people, in this particular case a car thief.

The thief is given the nickname = ‘OK Johnson’
… because he said ‘Okay, okay, I did it.’

That is, the thief’s name was Johnson (although Johnson might just be a made-up name here), but instead of, say, ‘MB Johnson’, he is called ‘OK Johnson’. The ‘OK’ standing for the word ‘Okay’, in ‘Okay, okay, I did it.’

(1) ‘OK’ as initials, and
(2) OK/Okay as in a word used to express agreement or acceptance.

So if it isn't a pun, or play on words or whatever you want to call it, what would you call what is happening here?
Michael Beijer Oct 8, 2023:
@Tomasso: I was assuming that ‘Marie’ is a lawyer, since she is cross-examining people, in this particular case a car thief.
Daryo Oct 8, 2023:
Yes what comes before

"For another thing, she’s thorough. Marie wants all the nails in the coffin before she picks up her hammer."

is certainly not to be taken literally.

But this "OK Johnson" is just most literally a guy called Johnson who is quick to admit whatever he gets accused of.
writeaway Oct 8, 2023:
Agree with Mark Robertson (+ your own suggestion) It's simply the person's name
Mark Robertson Oct 8, 2023:
allp No. The thief's name was Johnson.

Responses

+1
11 mins
Selected

(see below)

It's a pun on the fact that the thief's last name was Johnson and he said, "Okay,
okay, I did it."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2023-10-08 17:22:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

OK, let me spell it out.

The guy e was given the nickname = ‘OK Johnson’
… because he said ‘Okay, okay, I did it.’

The thief’s name was Johnson, but instead of, say, ‘MB Johnson’, they called him ‘OK Johnson’. The ‘OK’ standing for the word ‘Okay’, in ‘Okay, okay, I did it.’

------------------------
‘pun’:

NOUN:
A joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words which sound alike but have different meanings.

VERB:
Make a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word.

------------------------
The ‘different possible meanings of a word’ in this case revolving around:

(1) ‘OK’ as initials, and
(2) OK/Okay as in a word used to express agreement or acceptance.

Ha ha. Get it?
Peer comment(s):
neutral Mark Robertson : No pun here. A pun is a humorous form that exploits differing meaning of a word, or homophony of different words.
4 mins
ha ha, very funny
neutral philgoddard : Mark's not being funny. It's not a pun.//Well, maybe I'm humourless, but I don't get the joke.
1 hr
Christ you guys are humourless. The definition of humourless, btw, is defining the word ‘pun’. / I tried to explain myself in my answer. does that help explain what I am getting at?
neutral Daryo : Call me whatever you want, but I can't find even a trace of pun. Even an electronic microscope couldn't help finding any. All I can see is a descriptive nickname given to a guy called Johnson who was quick to admit whatever he was accused of.
2 hrs
I tried to explain my thinking again in my answer
agree Tomasso : There is use of slang in Austin Powers, site censored by google, http://onlineslangdictionary.com/meaning-definition-of/johns...
3 hrs
Thanks!
neutral Jennifer Levey : "pun"? - What 'pun'? ... Or are you just taking the Michael?
6 hrs
No, not taking the Michael ;-) I'm not saying it's a good pun, or even funny/clever, it's just a play on words; see the added note in my answer
neutral AllegroTrans : credible // I mean your answer is credible, just that
2 days 1 hr
hmm, not sure what your Neutral means, together with the word ‘credible’... // ah, OK, thanks!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Pun or no pun, this answers my question. Thank you!"
2 hrs

just a nickname

nothing more

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2023-10-08 14:22:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A nickname given to a specific individual.

Means nothing outside of the limited context of this story.
Peer comment(s):
neutral writeaway : anything/reference to back so much confidence? No, it's just a name in this case. Not slang, not a pun, just a name. (and not a nickname)
11 mins
From what's available it's plain to see that it's a nickname given to a specific individual but a limited group of people. BTW do you see ANY conceivable link with any slang use of "Johnson"???
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search